


I'm Dreaming of a Red Christmas

by jackandsamforever



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M, For adaughterofzion, The Blacklist Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 01:33:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackandsamforever/pseuds/jackandsamforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liz misses Red more than she'd like to admit, but she gets a gift from him that eases the ache inside just a little bit. This is for The Blacklist Secret Santa and this story was written for adaughterofzion. Hope you enjoy! :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Red had been gone for three months and Liz felt herself going more and more insane as the days passed. He had told her he would only be gone for a short while. Who considers three months a "short while"? A month, maybe, but not three.

She hated that she missed him so much. She didn't want to miss him, but with her marriage starting to implode after his words of warning, she missed going to where ever he had been staying at that particular time, and just sitting in his company. Even if they didn't talk, she felt calmed by his presence. She hated that she was so emotionally dependent on him as well. Everything was just so messed up, and she didn't know how to fix any of it.

It was only seven more days until Christmas, but she didn't even feel like celebrating this year. What was there to celebrate? She had no one to buy presents for, not even her Dad, and she probably wouldn't get Tom anything since they hadn't talked beyond the basic niceties for weeks. She found herself hoping he would just give up on her and move to Nebraska, and she didn't even feel guilty for thinking that. She wasn't in love with him anymore, but didn't have the courage to do anything about it. She convinced herself that when Red eventually came back she would finally "buck-up" and file for divorce, but that was mostly wishful thinking.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Liz stepped outside and took a deep breath. She felt like it was going to be a better day today, she didn't know why, but she just did. It was the morning of the eighteenth and the temperature was hovering around zero. Snow had fallen the night before and she could see the snowplows had just been down her road. She walked down the steps of her brownstone and saw that her car was buried with snow and groaned. Not again. "Shit." There went the optimism she had felt only moments ago. She was already running late and now was going to be even later. Cooper had warned her that if she didn't get herself together soon and stop showing up late he was going to put her on leave and send her to an FBI psychiatrist. That was the last thing she needed, but she very well couldn't tell him that Red returning would be the answer to her problems.

Liz hurried down the steps and attempted to move the snow from around her car as much as possible. She was soaking wet and freezing by the time she finished and was cursing whatever higher power she could think of while stepping into her still semi-buried car. She turned on the heaters full blast and decided to wait for it to warm up before attempting to drive. Glancing to her right, she noticed something sitting on the passenger seat that she swore hadn't been there the night before.

She reached over and picked up the rectangular box wrapped in red wrapping paper. Liz turned it over in her hands, but there was no tag to indicate who it was from. Shrugging, she slowly unwrapped the box, having a hard time doing so because her fingers were still frozen. She finally got the paper off and saw that the box said Neiman Marcus on the top.

Bewildered, she lifted the lid, and inside were a pair of black leather gloves. They looked really expensive and she wondered who the hell would care enough to spend that kind of money on her.

She took the gloves out and saw a note taped to the bottom of the box. She set the gloves down, picked up the note and unfolded it.

She immediately recognized the handwriting and felt like she had been punched in the gut. Sucking in a deep breath, she attempted to see what was written through the tears in her eyes. The words were written in red ink, and the familiar scrawl was like a boon to her entire emotional state. She read the note out-loud, so she could physically hear the words that were written to her from him. "To replace the gloves you lost so many months ago when you were chasing me down. I know you'll need them this morning."

There was nothing else written on the paper and she let the tears roll down her face unchecked. She missed him, and as sweet as it was that he gave her the gloves, it would have been better if it had been him that had come back.

He obviously wasn't ready to though, and Liz realistically couldn't hate him for that. He was protecting himself and her by proxy.

She picked the gloves up and ran her fingers over the smooth leather. They were really well made, and it caused Liz to smile at the thought of Red picking out womens gloves at a department store. She actually had a hard time picturing it, but she still felt a lot better than she had ten minutes ago. All because of him.

She slipped the gloves on. They fit her hands perfectly, not that she was surprised. She lifted her gloved hands up and put them on her face, breathing in the scent of the new leather. She liked to think that she could smell Red's familiar aftershave on them too, but was probably imagining it.

Finally getting her emotions under control, she pulled her car out into traffic, not even cursing the person in front of her who cut her off.

It was beginning to be a good day and she wasn't going to let anyone ruin it for her.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Liz trudged inside her house after completing a twelve-hour day at The Post Office. Her thoughts were unsettled and raced a mile a minute. She honestly didn't know why they kept her on the task force to find Red anymore, because she felt like she was contributing nothing to their efforts in doing so. The first month or two they had come to her with profiling questions and tried to include her in all of their discussions, but lately they stopped coming to her, stopped inviting her to meetings and even mostly stopped talking to her. Only Ressler and Meera continued to make somewhat of an effort, but they had been distant lately as well. She was grateful for their efforts, but yet often found herself thinking about how much she would like to quit profiling and do something else. She just didn't feel a passion for it like she used to. Yesterday she had been on a high from the discovery of Red's gift, but that high had long since been erased and she felt just as bad or worse than she had previously.

With those thoughts on her mind, she walked up the stairs and into her bedroom. Tom was out, again. She hadn't seen him for more than a few minutes in weeks now. She realized last week that he was most likely avoiding her. She didn't know why it took her that long to come to that conclusion, but when she did, it didn't hurt as much as it should have. She just didn't give much of a damn anymore.

It was nearing ten o'clock and she hadn't eaten much that day. Most of the time she didn't feel hungry, and as a result had lost ten or fifteen pounds, her clothes were looser and more baggy looking because of it.

Tonight she was hungry, but didn't feel like cooking anything. Not that she had any food in the house to cook anyway. She didn't feel like ordering out and waiting around for it to show up either. She sighed and mumbled to herself, "Tea it is." That she could make relatively easy, and it always made her sleepy so she could fall asleep without her troubled thoughts following her into her dreams.

She changed into some yoga pants and a loose-fitting long-sleeved shirt, then started walking down the stairs.

That's when she heard the doorbell. "What the hell?" Who would be coming around at this time of night? She quickly ran upstairs and grabbed her gun and put it in the waistband of her pants at the small of her back. The doorbell rang again and she ran back down the stairs and looked in the peephole to see who it was.

She was surprised. It was only a delivery person from her favorite Chinese restaurant, and one of the regular ones to boot. She unlocked the door and with a confused look on her face said, "Hey Gary, I didn't order anything."

He shrugged, "I just deliver where they tell me to go. The tag clearly says the food's to be delivered here", he handed her the large bag of food in his hand, "So there you go. Enjoy. Oh, and don't worry about a tip, they already left a big one." At that he smiled and walked quickly down the stairs, giving her a little wave as he got into his car.

She stood there for another minute, looking out into the darkness in hopes of seeing the one person she wanted to see at that moment, but of course she saw no one.

Sighing, she closed the door, walked into her living room and set the food on the coffee table. She walked into the kitchen and collected a plate and a fork, then snagged a bottled water from the fridge.

Liz plopped herself unceremoniously on the couch and opened the bag of steaming hot food. It smelled delicious and her mouth was already watering. She reached her hand inside the bag and felt a piece of paper at the top. Smiling, she pulled it out and opened it up, revealing right away what she had already suspected. Red's handwriting written once again in red ink.

"I've been told you've been losing weight. You need to eat Lizzy. I'll be back soon enough, but in the meantime you need to take better care of yourself. I don't want to worry about you more than I already have been. This food will last you three or four days and I expect you to eat all of it. No more skipping meals. I'm serious, Sweetheart."

She frowned at the nickname, rolling her eyes because he knew she hated it when he called her things like that. Tonight though, she found she didn't mind and smiled again. She could hear the way he would have said the words in his note to her in her mind, and it suddenly made her more hungry than she had been in weeks.

Liz quickly pulled all of her favorite entrees out of the bag, of course he would know them, and ate more than she had in a very long time.

After eating until she could barely move, she opened the note back up and re-read it a few times. Finding that she did actually like it when he called her those endearments. She wished he were here in person to call her them, but a hand-written note would have to do.

She stood up and put the leftovers in the fridge, then walked up to her room and put the note in the drawer next to her bed, beside the one she had received from him yesterday.

She quickly fell asleep and slept better than she had in days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the Kudos and comments from the first chapter. I hope this one didn't disappoint. Please let me know what you think. Even suggestions on what you think he would give Liz as a gift. I might use them..haha. Have a fantastic Thursday.


	3. Chapter 3

"Liz! Get down!" Liz ducked behind an SUV as gunshots rang out behind her. She hadn't seen the shooter, but realized that Meera had just saved her life. She took her gun out and peered around the front as two more shots rang out. She saw Meera go down and stood up to take the shooter down while he was distracted, but before she could get her first shot off she felt a white-hot pain in her arm and ducked back down behind the car. Groaning, she looked at her left arm and saw that it was bleeding profusely. That bastard had shot her; she wasn't going to let him get away.

Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, so it made it easy to ignore the pain, as she peeked over the top of the hood and saw the gunman running away. She took aim, fired and hit him square in the back. He went down and didn't move.

Relieved, she sank down and closed her eyes. Her arm was throbbing, bleeding everywhere and she needed to stop it before she lost too much blood.

Liz took her suit jacket off carefully, it still hurt worse than any pain she'd ever remembered feeling, and tied it around her arm the best she could. Satisfied that that would be good enough for now she stood up to check on her fallen comrade.

She walked up to Meera and was relieved to see her sitting up, holding her right leg. She looked to be in a lot of pain, but nothing life-threatening. "Thanks, Meera, you saved my ass back there."

Meera grimaced, "You're welcome, I'm just glad he didn't seriously injure either one of us. Good shot by the way."

Liz smiled faintly, she was starting to feel a little dizzy. "I just hope he's not dead so he can rot in jail the rest of his life."

Meera nodded in agreement as they heard sirens approaching. Liz nodded towards where the suspect was lying, "I'm going to go check on him." They had been chasing this guy because he supposedly had information on Red's whereabouts. Liz had been doubtful, but didn't have a choice in the matter because Cooper had ordered her and Meera to find him and bring him in. They had found him by happenstance in a restaurant they were eating lunch at. Liz hadn't believed their luck, and it ended up being too good to be true because he bolted as soon as they started to approach him. They chased him for a few blocks, but then he'd started shooting at them, leading to where they were at right now.

She finally made it over to him, balance slightly off, and knelt next to him to feel for a pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt one, but could see blood starting to pool underneath him. He wasn't going to live long if she didn't do something to help. She didn't want to, but she felt an obligation to try to save him, so she not so carefully tugged his jacket off and pressed it to his wound with her uninjured arm.

That's when the other FBI agents showed up and took over the scene. The paramedics quickly escorted her to an ambulance and did what they could to stop the bleeding until she could go to the hospital. Cooper approached her, "Agent Keen, are you ok?"

She nodded and smiled faintly, "Yes, Sir, just a flesh wound."

He smiled a little at her Monty Python reference and said, "Did you get any information from the suspect?"

She hated disappointing him. "No, Sir, he ran and started shooting at us before we even had a chance to talk to him." She wasn't going to apologize since she hadn't wanted to find the suspect in the first place.

Cooper sighed, "I'm sure it was just another dead-end anyway. We'll question him at the hospital if he pulls through. After you get patched-up at the hospital I want you to take the rest of the week off."

She wanted to argue with him, but knew it would be pointless, "Yes, Sir."

He nodded and walked away from her towards the crime scene.

One of the paramedics walked over to her, "Agent, we're going to take you to the hospital now. You're going to need to get an x-ray and stitches."

She groaned but nodded, "Let's get it over with then."

The paramedic patted her leg in reassurance, then stepped back and shut the door.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Six hours later found Liz sitting on her couch in a considerable amount of pain. The bullet had partially fractured her Humerus and she had received twelve stitches to close the wound. They didn't want to put her arm in a cast because that would infect the area around her stitches, so they sent her home in a soft cast with instructions to make sure and wash that area at least once a day. She was exhausted and cranky. They had given her pain pills, but she didn't want to take them because they made her so loopy.

She hadn't even attempted to call Tom about what happened, and figured since it was already nearing eleven o'clock that he wouldn't be coming home again. She didn't care enough to call and ask where he was anyway.

She stood up and made her way slowly up the stairs. She was still dizzy from the blood loss and hadn't eaten or drank anything to help her body catch up, but didn't think she could stomach anything anyway.

Liz finally made it into her bedroom and sat slowly on the bed. Her arm was throbbing, and she had already resigned herself to a sleepless night.

She laid down and closed her eyes, her thoughts of Red and how much she wished he would come back so they could go back to being partners and catching people off of his Blacklist. She was tired of trying to find him, and knew he would only be found when he wanted to be. She eventually drifted off to sleep, her dreams violent and disturbing.

She awoke to a sound and sat up quickly. She had been in the throes of a nightmare and was breathing heavily. That's when she saw a silhouette in the doorway. She turned to grab her gun but was stopped by his low, soothing voice, "Lizzy, it's just me."

"Red", she breathed, "What the hell are you doing here?" She reached over and turned her bedside lamp on.

She blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the sudden light and soaked in Red's appearance.

He wasn't dressed in his typical dress shirt, tie and vest; but in dark blue jeans with a black t-shirt and blue jacket. He was also unshaven with what to looked to be two or three days of growth. She assumed he looked like this as to not attract attention to himself in public. It did the trick, because she would have never recognized him on the street.

"I heard what happened today and had to see for myself that you're well."

She snorted, "So all I would've had to do all these months is get injured and you would've come back?"

He grimaced, "I'm not back, I just needed to check on you for my peace of mind."

He still hadn't come any farther in the room. "Come in, Red."

He slowly walked in farther and came to a stop in front of where she was sitting on the bed, his hands in his pockets. Her arm was throbbing and she felt faint.

"Have you taken anything for the pain, Lizzy?"

How he could tell that she was in pain, she didn't know. "No, they make me crazy."

Red huffed a small laugh, "It doesn't matter, you need to take them. You'll feel immensely better once you do. Where are they?"

She sighed, "They're downstairs on the coffee table."

He turned and walked out of the room. She listened to the sounds of his footsteps as they descended the stairs, then as he filled a cup up with water in the kitchen, and walked back up the stairs.

Red walked in and sat down next to her on the bed, handing her two pills and the water. "I promise they'll make you feel better."

She knew they would, but she wouldn't be coherent enough to realize that she did feel better.

As she swallowed the pills, he put his hand on her back and started running soothing circles. She closed her eyes, trying not to lean into him. She had missed him so damn much, but wasn't going to let him know that. He probably already knew anyway.

Instead she decided she needed some answers, "How long can you stay?"

He sighed, "Not long, it's not safe for you or me that I'm here, but I simply couldn't stay away." He had moved his arm and put it around her shoulders, pulling her close and putting his face in her hair, breathing deeply.

She leaned willingly into his side and placed her hand on his thigh. Propriety be damned. She needed to know for sure that he was really here and that she wasn't just hallucinating from the effects of the pain pills.

They sat there for countless minutes, not saying anything, and she found herself starting to fall asleep on his shoulder.

"Lizzy, why don't you lie down. You're falling asleep."

She didn't want to, she wanted to stay like this for as long as possible, but knew he wouldn't allow it.

She nodded and scooted backwards towards her pillow and laid down. He stood up and put the covers over her, then leaned down and kissed her temple, his facial hair soft on her cheek. He whispered into her ear, "I won't be gone for too much longer, Lizzy. I'm making significant progress towards making it safe for you and for me to come back."

She nodded, already half asleep as he stood up to leave. She grabbed his hand before he could get too far away, "Stay with me until I fall asleep?"

He sighed, but couldn't turn her down, that much was obvious. He toed off his shoes then took his jacket off and laid it on the end of the bed.

He walked to the other side of the bed and got under the covers and moved close to her, careful of her arm. She was lying on her right side, and he put his arm around her waist and pulled her gently against him. She snuggled back against him and sighed. She finally felt like she could sleep in peace. The last thing she remembered before she fell asleep was him kissing her cheek and telling her that he would be back soon, and to stay strong.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She awoke the next morning and turned on her back. She reached over to the other side of the bed, the sheets were cold. She swore she hadn't been dreaming about Red being there, but now she wasn't so sure. She lifted the other pillow to her face and breathed in. She could smell the aftershave that she loved, but would never admit as much out loud. Red had definitely been there and it hadn't been a dream. She smiled, feeling optimistic for the first time in weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the reviews and kudos from the last chapter. I really appreciate it! Please let me know what you think about this chapter, I love to hear opinions. Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a great Friday.


	4. Chapter 4

Liz was bored out of her mind, and had only been awake for six hours. She had already done the dishes (which was hard to do one-handed), washed and folded the laundry and vacuumed the rugs. Hell, she'd even dusted the ceiling fans, that's how desperate she had been for something to do.

Her arm ached and she knew she was overdoing it, but she wasn't the type of person to sit on the couch and watch soap operas all day, and she still had at least five more days until she could even think about returning to work.

Liz sat down on the couch and closed her eyes, her thoughts once again turning to Red and his surprise visit last night. He had been the last person she expected to see, but she still loved that he cared enough to make sure she was ok. He had looked good in casual clothes with the scruff on his face, since she'd only ever seen in him dress clothes and clean-shaven. It was a different look, but made him even more appealing to her, and she hated that she found herself thinking about him constantly now.

She wanted to know why he cared about her so much, why he continued to risk his life for her. She made sure to get the "Are you my father" question out of the way, so she could explore other possibilities behind his motives.

Honestly, Liz was relieved he wasn't her father, because lately she had been having very non-paternal dreams about him that often woke her up feeling aroused and needing him in the worst way. She was glad Tom wasn't around to see her during those times, that would have been awkward to say the least.

Her thoughts started drifting towards those particular dreams, but she stopped herself immediately. There was no point because Red wasn't around to satisfy those needs, and she didn't know if she would want him to even if he was. Liz was still confused about her feelings for him, but she did know that she missed him more than she had missed anyone in a long time. How Red had wormed himself into her heart, she didn't know, but now she knew what it felt like to not have him in her life and she hated it.

There was a knock at her door, startling her from her thoughts. She sat up slowly, her arm throbbing even worse because of how she had been sitting, and walked to the door. She opened it in time to see the UPS driver driving away and looked down and saw a small package. She wasn't expecting one, and Tom sure as hell hadn't been around long enough to order anything and have it delivered to their house.

She picked it up and saw that the label was addressed to her, but as Lizzy Keen. It was in Red's handwriting and she found her mood improving immediately.

Liz closed the door and made her way back over to the couch, setting the package down next to her. She tried to open it one-handed, but didn't have any luck, so she stood up and got a knife from the kitchen and made quick work of the tape. Lifting the lid she saw that there were two books inside and another note. Setting aside the books, she unfolded the note.

"Lizzy, I know how bored you will become sitting around not being able to work. These books are two of my favorites and have often kept me entertained for hours. I do hope you like them. They are my copies, so I would like them returned once we are reunited, as they are priceless relics. I'm glad I got to see you well last night, and I'm happy to have had the privilege of holding you for a few precious moments as you fell asleep. Thank you for allowing it because it went a long way in reassuring me of your well-being. Please be safe, Lizzy. I'll see you in a short while."

Liz smiled. He wrote just like he spoke and she found that she missed hearing his voice, even though she had just heard it less than twenty-four hours ago. What did that say about her?

Sighing, she picked up the books and read the titles, Moby Dick (Not surprising) and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. She hadn't read either one of them and was interested to find out why these two were among his favorites.

She picked up Moby Dick, sank down on the end of the couch and settled in for the long haul. Silently thanking Red for being more thoughtful than her husband had been in months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the reviews and kudos from last chapter..I really appreciate them. I know everyone wants to see Red in every chapter, hell I do too. Maybe if I get a lot of reviews for this chapter, I'll bring Red back in the next chapter again. (See what a horrible blackmailing author I am?) Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you all have a great day!


	5. Chapter 5

Liz awoke to the sound of the front door closing and sat up quickly, Moby Dick sliding off of her and falling to the floor with a loud "thud". She didn't know how long she'd been asleep, but it was dark outside so it must have been for a while. The book had been interesting, but it seemed like she was tired all the time now and fell asleep after only a few chapters.

She suddenly realized that she had been woken by the door, and had yet to see who it was. She was hoping for Red, but since he hadn't shown himself she figured it was Tom. Great.

Liz walked into the entryway and saw Tom's shoes sitting there. Figuring he went up to the bedroom, she quietly walked up the stairs and into the bedroom. There was a suitcase sitting on the bed that was half packed with his clothes.

"Tom, what's going on?"

He walked out of the closet, a cold look in his eyes. "I think it's obvious-", he cut himself off, "What the hell happened to you? You look like hell."

She rolled her eyes, "I was shot."

"Why didn't you call me?" His voice and body language didn't portray worry about her condition, and it was if he was asking just to be courteous.

She parroted back what he had started to say earlier, "I think that's obvious, Tom."

He sighed, "What happened to us Liz? Before you started working at-"

She cut him off, angry now, "Oh, don't you go blaming this whole thing on me. Who's the one that's been lying to who this whole time?"

He threw up his hands, "Well it sure as hell wasn't me! All I've tried to be all these months is supportive, but you've continually turned me away and ignored me!"

She shook her head, resigned, they were never going to get past their trust issues. Red made sure of that, but she wasn't going to blame him. He claimed he was only trying to protect her and she found that she believed him, because he had never lied to her when it really mattered.

"I want a divorce Tom." She said it quietly and without anger.

He sighed and nodded, "I think that's best for both of us. Nothing's the same. I can't take the stress of constantly worrying about you anymore."

Liz's eyes filled up with tears, she may not be in love with him anymore, but she would always love him. He had been a big part of her life, but now it was time for them to move on.

He continued, "I'm going to pack a suitcase and leave. I'll return for the rest of my stuff when I find a place to live. I'm staying with a friend right now."

She wondered if that "friend" was a woman, but found she didn't really give a damn either way. That's how she knew for sure that her feelings for Tom had changed, because she felt no jealousy at the thought.

She nodded, "For what it's worth Tom, I'm sorry it had to go down like this."

He walked up to her, put his arms around her and hugged her close, "I'm sorry too." At that he pulled away, kissed her temple and picked up his suitcase. "Bye, Liz, I hope you find what you're looking for."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "Bye, Tom, you too."

He walked out, not glancing back.

After she heard the front door close, she sat down heavily on the bed. When she married Tom she had believed it was going to be for forever, but now it was over after only seven years.

She didn't feel heartbroken, but she did feel empty.

Red wasn't even around to take her mind off of her problems, and once again she was feeling abandoned by him. It wasn't his fault, but she needed someone to blame, and since he wasn't there she felt like she could. After all, it was when he came into her life that everything started going downhill.

There was a knock at her door, startling her our of her ruminations. It seemed like there had been a lot of people knocking on her door lately.

Standing up, she descended the stairs and peeked through the window curtain in her door.

It was Dembe.

Feeling panicked, because he would only be here if something had happened to Red, she hurriedly unlocked the door and opened it, "Dembe, is everything OK?"

He smiled faintly, "Everything is good, Agent Keen. Mr. Reddington requested that I bring you to him so he can talk with you." He looked down, "I am sorry about your husband."

She didn't even question how he already knew, since she had just found out herself. "You can call me Liz, Ok?" He nodded and she continued, "Why does he want to talk to me? And why couldn't he just come here?"

He shook his head, "Mr. Reddington didn't tell me his reasons, and it is not safe for him to return here. Are you going to come with me?"

It didn't take her long to decide. She didn't have anything here, no husband or job, so it made her decision easy. "Yeah, can I pack a few things?"

He nodded, "Yes, but hurry, we need to leave soon."

She nodded and walked upstairs to pack, wondering what kind of weather she needed to pack for.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

An hour later found Liz and Dembe in Red's private Jet. She was sitting and staring out the window, while Dembe sat a few rows in front of her.

"Where are we going Dembe?"

He turned around, his face giving nothing away. "We are going to Australia. Mr. Reddington has a safe house there that has yet to be discovered by his enemies. It is a long flight, over twenty hours in fact, so I suggest you sleep while you can."

She was surprised at his long-winded answer because he never usually said anything more than a few words at a time.

He continued, "I will get you a pillow and blanket."

At her nod, he got up and walked into the back of the jet, returning moments later with said items and handing them to her. "Sleep well, Liz. I will wake you when we get close."

She nodded and laid down, suddenly exhausted with her arm aching worse than usual. Trying to ignore it, she fell asleep quickly and slept the entire flight.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

She awoke to Dembe shaking her shoulder lightly, "Liz, we are here. Mr. Reddington is expecting us within the hour."

She yawned and nodded. She hadn't even woken up to the jet landing, and either she had been completely exhausted or the pilot was just that good. Probably a little of both.

Standing up she followed Dembe, who was carrying her luggage, down the stairs and onto the tarmac of the private airstrip. There was no one else around and Liz suspected Red probably owned the little hangar.

Dembe led her over to an idling car and opening the back door, gesturing for her to get in. She smiled a thanks and slid inside. He closed the door, put her luggage in the trunk and got in the front passenger seat, then looked back at her, "It will be another hour or so, please make yourself comfortable."

She sighed and put her seat belt on. She wished she had brought her pain pills because the pain was starting to really bother her. There was nothing she could do about it now though.

Liz turned and put her forehead on the window, staring out at the beautiful Australian landscape as they drove away from the airstrip.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

She must have dozed off again, because she woke to the car slowing. Sitting up, she looked out and saw a beautiful and well-kept one-story house in front of her. Dembe got out and opened the door for her.

She slowly stepped out, her legs stiff, and stood next to him on the dirt road. "He is waiting for you, go ahead and go inside. No need to knock."

"Thanks Dembe." He nodded as she made her way up the sidewalk and up to the front door.

Liz hesitated, Dembe told her not to knock, but she felt funny just walking in a house she had never been to before.

The door opened before she could make up her mind. It was Red, and boy was he a sight for sore eyes.

Red's voice was low and smooth, "Lizzy, welcome to Australia. I take it everything went well on your flight?"

She nodded, but couldn't find the right words; her eyes still taking in his appearance. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a light blue tighter fitting, long-sleeved shirt. He was clean-shaven this time and had no shoes on. She couldn't tear her eyes away, never really having seen him like this in the light of day.

She heard him huff a small laugh and was finally able to focus on his face. "Sorry Red, it's been a long few days."

He nodded, "I'm sorry for that Lizzy, won't you come in?" He walked out of the doorway and she followed him, stepping into a nice, but not overly-extravagant entry way. Liz could see the living room and kitchen from where she stood, and liked that it wasn't overdone. She felt right at home immediately.

He led her over to the couch and sat down, patting the cushion next to him. "You must be exhausted. Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

What she wanted was something to take the edge off of the pain in her arm, and told him so. He nodded and stood up to find her something.

He returned shortly and handed them to her along with a glass of water. The scene reminiscent of two nights ago, but at least this time she wasn't falling asleep.

"These aren't going to make me do crazy things are they?" She was legitimately concerned about that.

He barked a laugh, and sat back into the couch, "Of course not, I want you lucid."

She sat back into the couch after taking her pills and sighed. She wasn't sleepy tired, but she was physically tired.

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. She went willingly and laid her hand on his stomach. "I heard about Tom, are you Ok?"

She nodded into his shoulder, "I'm better than I thought I would be. I think I'm more relieved that it's over."

Red nodded and started running his hand up and down her arm. "I want to show you something. Do you feel up to going outside?"

Liz nodded and patted his stomach lightly, she needed the fresh air desperately. Extracting himself from her gently, he stood up and held his hand out for her. She took it and stood up, feeling the effects of the pain pill already.

He let go of her hand and gestured with his arm to precede him out the back door as he slipped some shoes on. She walked out and saw a big red barn. She smiled because it was so cliche, but she loved it anyway.

He walked up to her and put his hand on her back, leading her towards the barn, His dark sunglasses in place, "I've been trying to think of something to give you to help you feel better, and I thought this would be acceptable."

They had made it to the doors of the barn and she saw what he was pointing at. Two horses were tied to a door, already in saddles and bridles. She frowned, "Red, I only have one arm, how am I going to ride?"

He frowned, "Well you can either ride with me, or I'll lead your horse by its reins."

She didn't feel confident enough to ride on a horse by herself, even if he was going to lead it. "I guess I'll ride with you, if that's ok?"

He smiled faintly, "Of course, it would be better for my peace of mind as well."

Red walked over and placed a stool next to the horse for her, then easily mounted it. She walked over and hesitantly stepped on the stool. She had only ever ridden a horse twice in her life, and this time she only had one arm to hold on with.

Seeing her hesitance, "Lizzy, I promise you I'll go slow, you should know by now that I would never put you in unnecessary danger."

She knew that of course and nodded, putting her right leg over the horse and sliding on. Red grabbed her uninjured arm and helped her. As soon as she was on completely, she wrapped her right arm around his waist, hugging herself close to him. She told herself it was so she wouldn't fall off, but she really needed a hug, and this was the next best thing.

"Are you all set, Lizzy?"

She nodded against his back, breathing in his familiar aftershave, as he flipped the reins to get the horse moving out of the barn.

Red put his hand over the one on his stomach and squeezed, "Thank you for coming Lizzy. I needed to see you again, but didn't want to put you in even more danger. This was the only way."

Liz mumbled into his back, "It's actually nice to get away. I don't have anything back in DC, so this is a good change."

She felt his hum of approval as he steered the horse towards a trail. She was excited to see more of this beautiful country and to spend time with this enigmatic man.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

They returned three hours later and Liz was starving. He slid off the horse, then took her hand and helped her off as well. Her legs were stiff but she didn't care, she had had a great time. Most of it was because of the company, but she would never admit that out-loud.

He pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her gently (careful of her arm), and whispered into her ear, "That was enjoyable. Thank you for allowing me to show you around this beautiful property."

She turned her face into his neck, "Thanks for showing me, but I'm starving. Can we eat?"

He huffed a laugh and pulled back, kissing her cheek along the way. "Of course, Sweetheart. You'll love what's on the menu."

She smiled in gratitude and threaded her arm around his elbow as they walked back to the house. She was finally starting to enjoy the Christmas season.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know what to think about this chapter..but I'll just go with it! Thanks for the reviews and kudos from the last chapter, I really do love them. It looks like Red and Liz will be spending Christmas together after all. Awww. Please let me know what you think. Have a great Sunday.


	6. Chapter 6

After Red and Liz finished eating, Liz stood to help clean up. She felt it was the least she could do.

She grabbed her plate and Red's and carried them to the sink and turned on the water to start filling up the sink with hot water, her mind in turmoil.

On one hand she was glad that she was here with Red, and not alone in DC, wondering if he was safe and being driven to tears of boredom. On the other hand though, she was playing with fire, and they both knew it. She still didn't know what she wanted from Red, but she knew that if she allowed herself to just let go that there would be no going back. That scared her to death; she wasn't even divorced yet, and she didn't want Red to be a rebound.

She felt a hand on her back and was startled from her thoughts. Liz turned her head to see him looking at her with eyes that were penetrating, as if he could read her thoughts. He could obviously see the direction of her thoughts from her facial expression. She'd never had a good poker face. "Lizzy, is everything alright?"

She nodded her head, not wanting to get into that discussion right now. "I'm fine Red, I think the jet lag's finally catching up to me." She tried to smile, but didn't completely accomplish it.

Liz could tell he didn't believe her, but thankfully he chose to ignore it for the moment.

"Let me do the dishes and you can go sit down on the couch. I'll join you shortly."

She shook her head, "Let me help, I need to feel useful."

A pained expression crossed his face for a moment, but was gone in a flash. "You're always useful, Lizzy, don't put yourself down like that." His tone was admonishing.

"Even so, let me help." She wasn't going to let him do everything.

Seeing that she wasn't going to be persuaded, he pushed up the sleeves of his athletic shirt and said, "You can rinse and dry. I'll wash."

She nodded and they worked in tandem while all the dishes were washed, including the ones used to make dinner. Red had sent home the Chef after he had served them dinner.

Neither said anything, but Liz felt more safe and at home for the first time since Red had left so many months ago.

They finished up and Red turned to her. "Why don't you go get changed into something more comfortable and then we can talk, watch a movie, read or you can go to bed. Whatever you decide."

She nodded, but hesitated. "Which room is mine?"

Red gestured with his head, "It's down that hallway, second bedroom on the left. It's across from mine, but if you don't feel comfortable with that arrangement, you can choose any other bedroom."

She shook her head, "I'm sure it's fine", Then walked towards her bedroom. She felt eyes on her back, but didn't give in to the temptation to turn around.

Liz found her room easily, walked inside and shut the door. Looking around, she found the room charming. It was nice, but like the rest of the house, not over-done. The bed was queen-sized with a blue comforter on it, accented with a dark brown headboard and dresser. There was a door to the left which she suspected was her own bathroom and was grateful that she would have her own private space where she could go when she felt like it and not be bothered.

Realizing that she'd been standing there for a while lost in thought, she moved to where her luggage sat on the bed. She pulled out some longer athletic shorts and a t-shirt. She knew that there wasn't anything flattering about the clothes, but didn't want to provoke Red into touching her more than he already did. She didn't trust herself to stop him once he started.

Liz had probably been a little too touchy-feely with him after she got here, and now she was making the conscious decision to pull back a little. Her feelings for him were too strong to resist any advances he might make, and prayed that he would give her a little time before trying anything.

He had been nothing but a gentleman since she'd met him, so she wasn't too worried.

It took her a good ten minutes of failing at getting dressed before she let out of groan of frustration. She was having a hard time getting the shirt over her head with one arm, while trying not to bend her injured arm. She was annoyed at her inability to finish, and her arm was hurting so badly she was close to tears.

She gave up and walked to the door, cracking it open. "Red?" She said it quietly and listened, but didn't hear any stirring coming from the living room. "Reddington?" She said a little louder and heard him start walking towards the hallway. "Lizzy, what's the matter?"

She only had her head through the door as Red finally reached her, a look of concern on his face. "I can't get this damn shirt off and my arm hurts so bad now that I don't think I can do it myself."

He grimaced, "Would you like me to help?"

She didn't want him to, but didn't see any other option and she trusted that he wouldn't take advantage of the situation.

She nodded, "Just let it be known that there's no other option. It's either have you help me or leave it on the rest of my time here."

He huffed a small laugh, "You know how to make a man feel good about himself, Lizzy."

She smiled faintly and stepped back, opening the door for him to come in. "I do what I can." Liz knew that humor was the only way to get through her embarrassment.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, a indiscernible look on his face.

She walked up to him and said, "Come on Red, let's get this over with."

The look disappeared from his face and he quickly grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it slowly and carefully over her head, his fingertips brushing her sides inadvertently (at least she thought so). She kept her left arm down, so after he pulled the shirt over her head, he pulled it down her arm. She looked at his face and saw that he was making a concerted effort to keep his eyes up. She appreciated him even more for that.

Liz didn't want to sleep in her bra, and knew she was going to need his help getting that off too.

She turned around, her back facing him and said, "I know this probably isn't fair to you Red, but can you help me with my bra too?"

She heard his intake of breath, his voice sounding a little strained, "Certainly. You know I'm only here to help."

He proceeded to unhook her bra and slide the straps from her shoulders, "I can get it off from here, thank you." She really was grateful for his willingness to help.

Hugging her bra to chest carefully with her left arm, she reached over to bed and grabbed her t-shirt and handed it back to him.

He grabbed her shoulders and turned her back around. The mask was back on his face, but she could see a hint of desire in his eyes. At least she knew he was attracted to her, but she'd figured that out a while ago.

Red unfolded the shirt and began putting it on her. She was still holding her bra up, and after he got her right arm through the arm opening, he pulled the shirt down over her stomach and gently took her bra from her. She let it go and suddenly felt naked underneath his gaze. She tried to mask her emotions, but knew he saw through it easily. He knew she wasn't ready for anything yet.

He didn't say anything as he gently took her left arm and guided it through the other arm opening. It hurt, but it hurt less than if she would have tried to do it herself.

He finished quickly and pulled the shirt all the way down her torso and briefly rested his hands on her hips, but pulled away after a moment. "Now that that's finished, what would you like to do?"

She didn't feel like talking or reading because both were too mentally draining. "Can we just watch a movie or something?"

Red nodded, "Certainly, why don't you go choose a movie while I go get changed as well." He put his hand on the small of her back and led her out of her room, then rubbed his hand up and down her back a few times before turning to go into his room.

She sighed and walked into the living room, saw a pile of movies and walked over to them. There were a lot she hadn't ever heard of, and none of them really appealed to her. She felt like watching something funny, so she finally decided on Spaceballs. It was stupid enough to make her laugh and to distract her from her problems as well.

Liz put the movie in the Blue-Ray player, walked over to the couch and sat against the right side. She wondered if Red would sit next to her or sit on the other side of the couch. She found herself hoping for the former.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, he walked into the room dressed in loose athletic pants and a close-fitting black t-shirt. He looked good as usual, but Liz found herself missing the suits that she was so used to seeing him in. She hoped he wore one the next day.

He sat down on the far side of the couch and Liz hated herself for feeling disappointed. She knew she wasn't being fair to him, because she'd been giving him mixed signals all night, but it still hurt a little.

She put on a brave face and smiled at him, "I chose Spaceballs, is that ok?"

He turned to her and smiled faintly, "I would have never picked you to be a fan, but to each her own."

She shrugged, "I felt like watching something funny." The strain in her voice was clear.

He scooted closer to her and took her hand, "I'm sorry Lizzy, I know you're going through a lot at the moment. This movie is enjoyable in its own way."

Blinking the tears from her eyes, she nodded, "Good, because we're watching it." Not waiting for an answer from him, she pulled her hand from his, picked up the remote and turned it on.

Fifteen minutes in and her eyelids were already drooping. Red was sitting on the next cushion over, but wasn't touching her. She scooted a little closer and put her head on his shoulder. She didn't care if she was being too forward, she needed the contact.

Liz heard his surprised breath, but he quickly recovered and put his arm around her shoulders. He leaned his head down and whispered into her ear, "Lizzy, what are we doing?"

She sure as hell didn't know, but wasn't going to tell him that. "I don't want to talk now Red. I just need you to hold me."

She felt him nod as he settled deeper in couch, bringing her closer to him and sighing. He was going to let her get away with not giving him any answers tonight, but tomorrow was going to be different.

OOOOO

As the credits rolled, Red sat up a little bit. Liz had been asleep for most of the movie and it was time to get her into her bed so she could get a good night's sleep.

He shook her shoulders lightly and whispered into her ear, "Lizzy, let's get you into your bed."

She stirred a little and groaned, "Nooo."

He smiled faintly and sat up all the way, finally waking her up enough for her to open her eyes. She blinked, "'S is movie over?"

"It's over and I'm ready to retire to my room. Come on, let's get you to yours." He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her up beside him.

She was still a little boneless and lethargic, but put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself. She took a few steps away from him and started to sway a little. Red quickly put his arm around her waist and walked her to her room. She was still half-asleep and didn't seem inclined to talk, so he stayed silent.

They reached her doorway and she suddenly seemed a little more alert, "Thank you for being great tonight Red."

He smiled, "Always, Lizzy." He quickly leaned down and kissed her forehead, lingered for a few seconds then pulled away. "I'll see you in the morning, Sweetheart. Sleep well."

She smiled faintly, but said nothing and walked into her room, shutting the door behind her.

He sighed. He really wished he could do more for her, but she wasn't ready for the things he had in mind and he wasn't going to force her.

Red turned to his room and walked inside. His concern for her running repeatedly through his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that I miscounted the days until Christmas..haha..so this chapter is just a continuation of the previous one. There will be more gift giving in the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews and kudos from the last chapter..I love them. Thanks for reading and have a great Monday. Only 3 days until Christmas!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm leaving tonight to go to the in-laws for Christmas and I won't have computer access..so I'm posting this chapter now..then the final chapter tonight before I leave. Thanks for reading!

Liz woke to a knock and heard Red's voice through the door, "Lizzy, are you planning on spending all day in bed or do you want to go with me into town?"

She stretched her good arm over her head and tried to use her voice, but it came out more like a croak. She cleared her throat and tried again, "I want to go with you. Give me a half hour to get ready."

"Very well, you can eat in the car." She heard his footsteps retreat and laid her head back down. Liz didn't remember much about last night other than falling asleep on his shoulder. She felt a bit embarrassed at giving him no choice but to hold he as she slept, but she enjoyed it far more than she should have. She was terrified at how strong her feelings for Red were becoming.

Deciding not to think about it anymore, she rolled out of bed, her arm feeling a little better, and stood up and walked into the bathroom to get ready.

OOOO

Thirty-five minutes later found her and Red riding in the backseat of his car with Dembe driving. She was glad Red had decided to ride in back with her.

As they'd walked out of the house, Red had handed her a bagel and a to-go cup of coffee and she'd smiled at him in thanks, but couldn't see his eyes behind his dark sunglasses. He was dressed in a gray three-piece suit and Liz had secretly admired his broad shoulders as he'd opened the door of the car for her to get in.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she turned to Red, who was reading something on his iPad. "Where are we going Red?"

It took him a minute to look up, reaching a spot in his reading where he could stop. He smiled faintly, "We're going to Launceston, a rather large city, but I find that I'm usually safest in the bigger cities as opposed to small ones. They have a delightful art gallery and museum. I've found myself spending hours there when I needed to kill some time."

She smiled, "Sounds like something I'd like to do. What are you planning on doing in Launceston?"

His face was unreadable and was still hidden behind sunglasses and his fedora. "I have some business to attend to. It will go a long way in reassuring our safety once we return to the United States."

She hoped he didn't mean killing someone, but was too afraid to ask, so instead she said, "Do you mind if I go to the museum while you're out doing whatever?"

He smirked, "I'd rather have you by my side, but the situation could become dangerous, so I'll have Dembe drop me off and then he can escort you to the museum."

She shook her head, "You need Dembe by your side. I'll be fine in a public place with lots of people."

Red reached over and took her hand, "If I do that, you have to reassure me that you'll stay there and go nowhere else. I shouldn't be more than an hour."

The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy, and all he was doing was holding her hand. She interlaced their fingers together, "I promise I won't go anywhere else and I'll stay in public areas. Seriously, you don't need to worry about me."

He reached over with the hand that wasn't holding hers and brushed his hand over her cheek. "Ok, I hope I don't come to regret this. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

She let go of his hand and patted his thigh, "I'll be fine."

He nodded curtly and spoke to Dembe, "Dembe, will you drop Lizzy off at the Museum first?"

Dembe nodded, "Yes Mr. Reddington."

The drove for another fifteen or twenty minutes in silence and Red had gone back to reading his iPad. She had left her hand on his thigh and he didn't seem to mind because he kept absent-mindedly running his fingers over the back of her hand.

The car slowed and came to a stop in front of one of the biggest museums she had ever seen; and that was saying something, because she'd seen a lot.

Dembe got out of the car and opened the door for her. But before she could step out Red grabbed her hand, stopping her. He put the iPad down and reached into his pocket, pulling out some money and a cell phone. "I want you to take these. I'll call you when I'm finished."

She took the items from his hand and smiled, "Sounds good, see you soon."

Once again she went to get out, but he tugged her back in and cupped her face with both of his hands. He still had a worried expression on his face. She grabbed one of his hands with her uninjured arm and held it against her face, trying to reassure him with her eyes that she would be fine. He seemed to see what he had been looking for and slowly leaned forward and kissed her temple. He stayed there for a few seconds, breathing her in, then let go. She allowed him this, but was starting to feel like she needed to pull back again.

She smiled once more and stepped out of the car. Dembe shut it and said, "Please be careful Liz. There is always danger lurking everywhere. We will see you soon."

She nodded, "Don't worry. See ya."

Dembe got back in and she watched them drive away. She started walking to the entrance, Excited to see this "famous" museum.

OOOOOOOOO

An hour and a half later, Liz had walked the whole museum. She had loved every minute of it, and was currently sitting in the planetarium, staring up at the life-like stars on the ceiling.

It was dark so she couldn't see much, but felt someone sit next to her. It instantly put her on guard until she heard his low voice, "It's me, Lizzy. Sorry to startle you."

She smiled and leaned towards him, "You didn't scare me. Did you get everything done that you needed to?"

He hummed in response and she felt him reach over and grab her hand, then lace their fingers together. She grimaced and tried to pull away half-heartedly, but he didn't allow it, and she found that she didn't mind as much as she probably should have.

They sat in silence, his thumb running over her knuckles, for what seemed like at least an hour. She was done and felt a little over-heated. "Red, let's go, I've looked at everything possible and I'm starving."

He huffed a small laugh, "Ok, there's a restaurant down the road that's simply divine, if that's agreeable?"

"Fine, let's go." She stood up and tugged him from his seat and he followed her out of the planetarium.

She blinked at the bright light and glanced at Red. He'd already put his sunglasses on and was smirking at her. The bastard.

He placed a hand at the small of her back and led her outside and to the car where Dembe was waiting for them. "We're going to go eat at 'Fresh on Charles'. It really has been too long since we've dined there."

Dembe nodded, "Yes it has Mr. Reddington. It is one of my favorite places to eat." He opened the door for Liz to slide in and as she did so, Red slid in directly after her, sitting close to her, but he didn't seem inclined to move, and she didn't feel like fighting him.

OOOOOOOOOO

The food was really good and the company even better. She was glad she had decided to come to Australia and knew that if she was still at home she would be sitting on the couch moping.

They made their way out of the restaurant, Red leaving a big tip, and walked back to the car. Red opened the door for her this time and she smiled a thanks and slid in. Once again he slid in next to her and shut the door.

Dembe got in and started driving back to Red's house.

Red turned to her and pulled a small package out of his pocket. "This is for you Lizzy. I saw it at the at the gift store and knew it would look stunning on you."

She smiled, "Red, you've got to quit buying me things, I still haven't bought you anything."

He shook his head, "Nor do I expect you to. Open it." He handed her the small box and she proceeded to unwrap it. She opened the box and breathed in, speechless. It was a necklace with a small colored stone representing each planet of the solar system and a yellow one to represent the sun. It was beautiful. "Red, this is absolutely stunning. Thank you so much."

He smiled, pleased that she liked it. "No need to thank me. Let me help you put it on."

She handed it to him and turned her back towards him. He swept her hair away, his fingers brushing the back of her neck, and put in on quickly. She turned back to him with a smile and he reached over to where it was lying on her chest and straightened it.

He smiled faintly and mumbled, "Stunning, just like I knew it would be."

She smiled brightly, "I love it so much, seriously, thank you." She leaned forward and hugged him tightly to her. Not the least bit hesitant in her affections at the moment.

He smiled as she pulled back, "You're welcome, Lizzy, I can't think of anyone who deserves it more than you."

She sat back, still all smiles, touching the stones with the fingers of her injured arm and reached over and found his hand that was lying on his thigh and squeezed it in gratitude.

Red sank back into the seat and closed his eyes, their hands still interlocked. It warmed his heart to finally see Lizzy excited for something. She deserved to have that look on her face all the time, and vowed that he was going to be the one to accomplish that one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww..so cute. Thanks so much for the reviews/follows/favorites. I really do appreciate everything. Thanks for reading. One more chapter to go. I'm kind of sad, its been fun writing this, but I need to get back to my other fic, "Jack O'Sullivan". (Insert shameless plug).


	8. Chapter 8

Red and Liz finally returned to his house in the late afternoon. She felt tired once again, and cursed the damned jet lag or whatever else was causing her to be so tired.

They got out of the car and Red turned to her, "Why don't you go take a nap, Lizzy. Since it's Christmas Eve I'm sure we'll be up later than usual."

She nodded, too tired to argue with him, and walked inside the house. Red following close behind.

Liz turned to him before walking down the hallway to her room, a soft smile on her face. "Thanks again, Red. Your gift was perfect, probably way too much money though."

He reached over and cupped her jaw, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "Nothing is too much when it comes to you."

She smiled and put her hand on his chest, rubbing it up and down for a moment then pulled away and said, "I'll see you in a few hours. I'm tired of being tired all the time." She smiled at the play on her words and saw him smile faintly.

"Sleep well."

OOOOOOOO

Liz awoke hours later, disoriented. It was dark in her room and she was confused about where the hell she was for a moment.

She laid back and centered herself, everything coming back to her at once. She looked over at the bedside clock and saw it was past eleven PM. She'd been asleep for over five hours and wondered why Red hadn't woken her.

She got up quickly and went into the bathroom, trying to smooth her wild hair down. She didn't have much success and found that she didn't care too much. Red certainly wouldn't mind.

Making her way into the living room, she stopped short at the sight before her. Red had gone all out in the five hours that she had been asleep. There were Christmas decorations everywhere and a beautifully decorated tree by the fireplace. She was speechless and a little overwhelmed that he would go to so much effort.

Liz spotted him sitting on the couch reading from his iPad. He had taken his suit coat and tie off and had unbuttoned his vest and the top buttons of his shirt, his undershirt peeking out. Red hadn't noticed her entrance and she found herself studying him. He wasn't the "typical" kind of man who a person found good-looking. He was balding, in his fifties and was a cocky son of a bitch. Usually she found all those qualities to be unattractive, but since meeting Red she had completely changed her mind. She found him more attractive than she found any person currently in her life, inside and outside, and didn't care that he was over twenty years older than her. He held himself with a confidence that was incredibly sexy and she loved how good he looked in a suit. He had long blonde eyelashes that always shined in the sunlight when they walked together outside, and she found that the close-cropped haircut suited him well, and especially loved his sideburns.

He looked up and smirked, catching her staring. She smiled faintly, walked over to him and indicated the room with her hand, "This is incredible Red."

He shrugged, "It didn't feel like Christmas until you got here, and I just felt like a tree was needed.

She smiled, "Well I appreciate it. I hadn't put up any decorations back in DC, so this is nice."

Red patted the cushion next to him and she sat down. "What were you working on just now?"

He sighed, "I think I've finally done enough for us to return and live safely in DC. I only just received confirmation."

She smiled brightly, "That's good news right?" He didn't seem very happy.

"It is." He turned his head, stared unseeing at the tree and didn't say anything more; Liz wondered at his melancholy mood.

She patted his knee, "Penny for your thoughts?"

He looked back at her, his mouth a straight line, "You wouldn't have enough pennies", and huffed a humorless laugh.

"What's wrong, Red?" She felt like she was ten steps behind in this conversation.

"I'm just trying to think of a good way to give you my final present without you taking it the wrong way."

She was confused at the sudden turn in their conversation, "What could you possibly give me that would make me upset?"

He smiled faintly, "I'm pretty sure I've come up with one that might do so."

She shook her head, "Well what is it? Let me be the judge of that."

He grimaced and put his hand in his pocket, pulling out a box similar to the one from earlier that day. She heard the grandfather clock chime in the background, indicating that it was midnight and officially Christmas.

"Please let me explain before you jump to conclusions, Lizzy. Promise me." He looked her the eyes, his own nervous.

She swallowed and nodded, not sure she was liking where this conversation was headed.

He opened the small box slowly and pulled out a ring, holding it up with his thumb and index finger. It didn't look new, but it was still beautiful; obviously well taken care of. She opened her mouth to ask him what the hell he was doing, but quickly closed it, remembering her promise.

He squinted at her and pursed his lips, then said, "This was my mother's wedding ring. My father gave it to me to give to my future wife." He paused and Liz wanted to scream, but refrained, giving him a chance to continue explaining.

"My wife didn't want it because she thought it was ugly, so I bought her something that she picked out herself. I had forgotten about this ring until recently." He didn't say so, but he was obviously referring to when he had come into her life.

"I wanted to give it to you and tell you that it's yours when you're ready to accept it. Obviously it won't be for a while, but..." He trailed off, for once his words failing him.

"Red, are you asking me to marry you?" She honestly didn't know how she felt about that, but wasn't completely opposed to the idea.

He shook his head and grimaced again, "Not now, nor in the near future. Think of it as a promise ring. I want you to take it though for when you're ready to accept someone else to love in your life. I want to be that person if you'll allow it."

Her eyes filled up with tears, she honestly couldn't come up with any words to express her feelings. So she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips, lingering for a moment. Before she could pull away he put his hand on her neck and kept her there, deepening the kiss. He opened his mouth and ran his tongue over her bottom lip, seeking permission. She opened her mouth to him and they stayed that way for minutes until she felt like she couldn't breath. He made her feel things she hadn't ever felt for anyone else in her life, not even Tom.

Liz pulled back and rested her forehead on his, their breaths mingling. His smelt of peppermint mixed with scotch. "Yes", she whispered.

He pulled back, a surprised expression on his face. "Excuse me?"

She smiled faintly, "I'll take your ring and wear it and then when I'm ready, I'll marry you."

He smiled his first genuine smile, "That conversation went better than expected."

She huffed a laugh and held her hand out for the ring. He handed it to her and she slipped it on her left ring finger. It was a perfect fit of course and she suspected that he had had the ring re-sized to fit her. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her temple.

She looked up to see him watching her, his feelings for her evident in his expression. He hadn't said he loved her in so many words, but in his actions. There would be a time eventually where he could freely love her, and her him. Now wasn't it, but they had the promise of a future together and Liz couldn't wait to get started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you have it. I'm sorry if it seemed really OOC, but hey this is a Christmas romance fic..what did you expect? Haha..thanks so much for the support of this story, I had a lot of fun writing it. Maybe one day I'll write an epilogue of their future together. Please let me know what you think and have a very merry Christmas! :) Oh and for those of you wondering about "Jack O'Sullivan", I wont be able to write much this week, so hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out Saturday night.


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